Time: Hours
by Lucifer Rosemaunt
Summary: ErikRaoul slash. Time, a 3parts Series. Installment 04. Questions answered and lives change in a matter of hours.
1. Lies

Disclaimer: Please don't sue. I don't own POTO... All I own is an overactive imagination.

Summary: ErikRaoul slash. Time, a 3parts Series. Installment 04. Questions answered and lives change in a matter of hours.

Warning(s): slash (that's homosexual content for those of you who don't know)

Pairing(s): ErikRaoul

A/N: Hello. Welcome to the fourth installment of Time. Been a while, right?

Story note: So they finally kiss. That's great. I didn't very much like the last installment though. It was… rough? I don't know if that's the word I was looking for but reading it again is almost painful. It's a chore and reading should never be a chore. As for rewriting it, I think I may be too lazy to do so, but let me just apologize for it the quality of that writing (it's like first draft work). It's subpar. That's what happens when I rush apparently. Cross your fingers and hope this is better.

o.o.o.o

Time: Hours

Part01:Lies

o.o.o.o

By: Lucifer Rosemaunt

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o.o.o

When Erik pulled away from the kiss, Raoul had stared at him for a long moment. Raoul's eyes were wide with disbelief and his mouth ajar. For a moment, Erik thought that he would say something. It was a better reaction than the first time he tried kissing Raoul.

That was until Raoul seemed to come to his senses and once again, pushed Erik away with all his might before running full speed out of the alcove. Erik peeked out of the alcove and watched Raoul run out of the opera house wondering when his dear patron would realize he had a meeting with the managers.

Raoul burst out of the front doors of the opera house before coming to a complete halt. He could not leave just yet. He let out a strangled cry before he realized he was outside. Luckily, he saw no one around to have seen that. Taking several steps away from the opera house, Raoul tried to calm himself down. He had a meeting with the managers soon and he had missed so many already that he could not miss this one. Looking at the doors he had just exited, Raoul decided that waiting inside the opera house was out of the question. He walked to the edge of the stairs and seeing no other choice, descended several steps before sitting down. He would catch the managers before they entered.

Unfortunately, waiting meant having time to think. The last few minutes of his life were almost déjà vu. It was so much like last time except this time what he had thought was simply his imagination had actually happened. It actually happened. Erik kissed him. Raoul pressed his fingers to his lips and feeling some liquid, he looked at his fingers only to see some blood. His tooth had cut the inside of his lip.

Tensing, he glanced behind him when he heard the door open. He relaxed when he saw that it was not the ghost. He tried to calm himself down taking several deep breaths.

He could not believe what had happened. It took every ounce of will in him to not start running back to his home immediately. He found it somewhat imprudent to be waiting by the opera house even though some part of him bitterly knew that Erik was not going to follow him. He had not followed him the other times, so it stood to reason that Erik would not follow him this time even if, the ghost had kissed him. Kissed him in a way that could not have been construed as an accident. It was the furthest thing from an accident than it could have possibly been.

Erik had grabbed his head. This was no ambiguous 'he accidentally leaned forward'. No, Raoul distinctly remembered the feel of Erik's hands on his face. He had felt the cold palms brushing his cheek and the fingers that had brushed against his neck and his ears. Raoul felt warm all of a sudden. Bowing his head into him hands, Raoul tried to push those minute details from his mind. He tried to push the kiss in general out of his mind just so that he could think a little clearer about the situation, but he could not.

It was not as if Raoul had not experienced better kisses than that. Of course, Raoul had kissed other girls and it had been better. It certainly had not been as violent, but this was different. Firstly, Erik was a man. Secondly, well, this kiss had been so different from anything he had ever felt before in his life. This one… lingered. It was as though his body refused to forget it. Kissing Christine had not even felt like this if Raoul could even call what happened a kiss and not Erik attacking him with his lips. Raoul would have found it amusing if he did not think he should be mad at having been taken advantage of.

He just wished he could understand why Erik had done it in the first place. Raoul was fairly certain that Erik still had feelings for Christine. Erik had gotten so angry when they had disappeared just for a few hours together yesterday and moreover, Erik had basically said so himself. Raoul tried to remember his words.

'_Christine is back. It is good news, is it not?'_

If that was not an admission of Erik's feelings towards Christine and her return, Raoul knew the only way it could have been plainer would be if Erik had looked at him and said, 'I love that Christine has returned. I love her.' And even though Raoul could picture it in his head, he doubted the ghost would ever do anything that bluntly.

Maybe as bluntly as kissing someone? Raoul could not help but wonder, but he pushed that thought aside. There had to be a reason Erik had kissed him. Maybe Erik thought that he was Christine? Raoul proceeded to call himself various names for that thought alone. The ghost was not blind or deaf. He was just… unpredictable, unfathomable, unreasonable in action, thought, and expectations respectively.

Maybe this was Erik's way of playing with his mind. It could be punishment for having taken Christine out without his permission or for missing their meetings even though he had promised. The image of Erik's expression, where his anger had not been enough to hide his concern, that night, which now felt so long ago, came to mind. Raoul remembered why he had made that promise; it was so Erik would not be alone and selfishly, so that Raoul would not be alone either.

If Christine had returned though, Erik would not be alone anymore. _They_ would spend their evenings together. Instead of Erik and Raoul, it would be Erik and Christine like it was supposed to be. Erik and Raoul had simply been an anomaly, a mistake that had occurred simply because Christine had made her own mistake of leaving the opera house. Raoul could be glad for him now that Christine had realized the error of her ways. He was glad for Erik, really. The pain Raoul felt now was only because he would be alone, nothing else.

It still did not explain the kiss.

Maybe Christine had told him something that had made Erik mad at him, but Raoul knew what Erik looked like when he was angry. The Erik inside the opera house that had kissed him was a far cry from angry. Raoul tried to think back to when they had been talking. He just could not concentrate hard enough. The only thing that kept running through his mind was the fact that Erik had kissed him. Intentionally, outright, and rather viciously kissed him.

Suddenly realizing that his meeting with the managers would be inside where Erik could easily follow them and wait for a moment when Raoul was alone, he panicked. Waiting outside was fine, but what could he do so that they would not have the meeting inside. Raoul glanced behind him again. No sign of the ghost anywhere. Raoul could not suppress the sudden feeling of disappointment. Or was it bitterness? He shook his head at his own reactions. He did not like who he was becoming. The rancor he felt was eating him away from the inside. This was not who he was.

If only things were not so confusing.

Erik was not following him even though he had been the one to initiate the kiss. If Erik was not interested in him, then what was the whole point of kissing Raoul?

Raoul wanted to yell in frustration.

"Monsieur Vicomte!" Andre called.

Raoul looked up. Watching them approach him, he had an idea. "Andre. Firmin. I have been thinking." He smiled charmingly as he stood up.

Firmin watched him warily, but Andre only waited expectantly for Raoul to continue.

"You two have been working so hard lately, that I have decided to treat you to breakfast." Raoul ignored the fact that he had already eaten breakfast.

"Our meeting?" Firmin asked.

"Will be discussed amicably during breakfast." Raoul explained. Anything to get away from the opera house. He waited for the managers to respond. He could already tell what Andre's response would be, but Firmin was suspicious of Raoul's motives.

Firmin shrugged, "Breakfast does sound good."

Raoul relaxed a bit.

"Let's catch that carriage before it leaves," Raoul suggested.

The trio left the opera house. Raoul checked over his shoulder one more time before putting the ghost out of his mind completely. He tried not to feel so angry.

o.o.o

Still in the alcove, Erik leaned against the wall and pondered this new development.

If he had not been so smug with himself, Erik would have been felt more cheated about his situation, considering Christine was back, and if he knew Raoul (which he did), Raoul would once again begin to avoid him. He was growing tired of watching Raoul run away from him. It was becoming a bad habit of his. Then again, Erik would not mind working to control that impulse with force if necessary.

He knew he had probably just exacerbated the situation. What else could Erik have done though? Let him go?

Never.

Erik's thoughts slowed when he realized that he meant it with a conviction that could rival his once-love for Christine. He had been uncertain at first wondering if his interest in Raoul was truly what he wanted. He realized now that even if he had wanted to, he would not have been able to simply walk away and forget the boy. Erik did not want to let Raoul ever be able to leave him. Not then and not now. How could he possibly regret his decision when he had been able to kiss Raoul?

Erik grinned madly in the darkness. His first kiss tasted of strawberry jam. Licking his lips again, he modified that thought, strawberry jam and a little bit of blood. Erik checked with his tongue to see if he had cut his lip before realizing that it was Raoul's blood not his. He grinned again. He had been able to taste Raoul, and he wanted to do it again maybe next time without the copper tang of his blood though. But the blood had once flowed through Raoul's body and God, Erik wanted to be a part of him like that. He shook his head wondering when this became such a strong obsession.

A part of him could not believe that he had just kissed Raoul like that. He had not meant to, but the boy had been going on about how Erik belonged with Christine. Was the boy so blind to not see that Christine meant nothing to him? Apparently. He wondered why Raoul had not reacted more strongly to the kiss. Erik had thought that Raoul would yell at him and call him disgusting along with several other choice words. It gave him hope that the only thing Raoul had done was run away, even though Erik knew that sometimes running away could just be as painful as hateful words. He just wondered how much he should allow himself to hope. Raoul could have simply been in shock. Erik was loathe to think that the next time he and Raoul met, Raoul would hate him.

Realizing it had already passed the time that the managers' meeting should have started, Erik headed towards the front door when one of the opera house's caretakers walked into the hall. The man looked around confused but saw no one.

Erik glared at the man half-heartedly from his hiding place. He was not too worried. The managers had been complaining every single time Erik saw them in Raoul's absence. They would not miss this meeting simply because they needed more money.

He smirked to himself again. He could not help it. He thought of his first kiss. It had not gone over entirely well considering their teeth had collided, his mask had gotten in the way, and Raoul had been less than a willing partner, but it was Erik's first kiss. Nothing could be that perfect. He looked forward to practicing with Raoul to get better.

Once the main hall was clear once more, Erik headed towards the front door when he saw Christine walking with some of the other ballet dancers. He glared at her and was torn between heading towards the main entrance and dealing with Christine right this instant.

She _was_ the cause of his problems. He did not think Raoul disliked the kissed; he had not been outright disgusted with it. So, if anything, the only competition left was Christine and Raoul's assumption that Erik still wanted her.

Just looking at her angered him. She did not belong in the Opera Populaire. She did not belong with him. And she definitely did not belong anywhere near his Raoul. The only reasonable conclusion would be that getting rid of her would get rid of his problems.

Erik changed his destination and decided that his pursuit of Raoul would have to wait. He trailed her and was even more enraged to see that she felt completely at ease. She had no right to feel that way in his opera house when she knew that he hated her. Christine, his protégé who had been gone for more than half a year who had taken everything he had given to her and left him behind, had come back only to try to take Raoul. His hatred for her could not be more complete.

He knew exactly what she had been doing in her absence. She had left the Opera Populaire to leave _him_. She sought her own fame moving to another city, finding another life, and changing her name. It had been a little difficult to find information about her, but it had not been impossible. She sang for another audience who loved her and he knew that she would have stayed there. Erik knew she would have if only there had not been that scandal. While Firmin was unscrupulous enough to use all scandals to his benefit, the managers of that other opera house had not known how to use it properly. The little Delilah had slept with the patron. Erik glared at her harder; he would not let the same thing happen here. She had only returned to opera house to hide.

Poor Raoul knew nothing about it. It would not matter. Erik would deal with her before he needed to find out.

o.o.o.o

End part 01

Word count: 2,430

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A/N: Don't forget to R/R (Read and Review)!

Chapter review: Poor confused Raoul, and let's hope Erik doesn't plan to do something too bad to Christine.

Author review: There's too much thinking in this. More action to come.


	2. Retribution

Disclaimer: Please don't sue. I don't own POTO... All I own is an overactive imagination.

Summary: ErikRaoul slash. Time, a 3parts Series. Installment 04. Questions answered and lives change in a matter of hours.

Warning(s): slash (that's homosexual content for those of you who don't know)

Pairing(s): ErikRaoul

A/N: Thank you reviewers and readers. I've been taking my sweet time writing this, right?

Story note: Raoul's really good at jumping to conclusions. He should really stop assuming things (because he always assumes the worst possible thing!)

o.o.o.o

Time: Hours

Part02:Retribution

o.o.o.o

By: Lucifer Rosemaunt

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Last time: Raoul's avoiding Erik (again). Erik's stalking Christine. Things aren't looking to good for her.

o.o.o.o

o.o.o

After the meeting, Raoul went directly to his estate and locked himself in his room again. His mind was jumble of emotions, events, and new information.

During the meeting, he had barely been able to concentrate. The managers had gone on and on about improvements that could be made to the Opera Populaire. Raoul knew they simply needed more money, but this was the game of business and Raoul let them speak.

Several times during the meeting, he had concluded that Erik could not have kissed him and meant nothing by it. He had convinced himself that Erik was simply bad at confessing his attraction. The subsequent smile on his face made the managers ask him what was so amusing. On the other hand, he had also concluded several times that Erik was simply playing with his mind at various levels of animosity. In Raoul's opinion, there was as much chance that Erik's kiss had been honest as it was spiteful – though Raoul was reluctant to believe anything good could really happen to him.

Then, they finally said something that had caught Raoul's attention. They informed him of the note that Erik had sent them. Upon hearing his demands, Raoul found that he was only further confused. Erik explicitly _had not_ wanted Christine to be the lead. In fact, Erik wanted Christine to be in a role that Raoul thought was rather small. It made no sense. Erik had said so himself that it was a great thing that Christine had returned. Then again, Erik had also kissed him directly after saying that. The ghost was making no sense whatsoever.

Raoul laid on his bed staring at the ceiling. He was a little ashamed of himself. He had run away again. When had he ever run away from anything? It was too cowardly, but with Erik, he just did not know what to do. The panic was always too much. Erik always caught him off guard and with little recourse besides running away, what else could Raoul do? But this was twice already.

Raoul traced his lips with his fingers. His heart raced at the thought. Erik had kissed him.

But for what reason? Raoul just could not understand, and right now, he was tired of playing this game of cat and mouse. At least, Raoul hated being the mouse. He wanted to stop fluctuating between desperately wanting to see Erik and desperately trying to get away from him. It was true that Christine had complicated things, but Erik and he had been on this path already since the attempted robbery. So, maybe Christine was not really to blame for what was happening. Maybe their friendship, which had been based on Christine alone, was naturally coming to an end and it was just now, when Christine had returned, that Erik was realizing it as well.

The ghost had looked frustrated for that short period when Raoul did look at him when his face had been grabbed. Now that he thought about it, Christine had run to him just that morning to tell him she was scared. Something must have happened between them. Maybe Erik tried to kiss her and she refused him. Or maybe Erik tried to reveal himself to her and Christine had only run away. Erik was probably just frustrated and needed to release some of that tension. In a way, since Raoul had kissed Christine before, by Erik kissing him, Erik had had an indirect kiss with Christine. Maybe that was what Erik wanted.

It seemed like a plausible motive. A convoluted, far-fetched motive was a better description.

Raoul did not want to think about it anymore. He would just ask the ghost. This time, Raoul decided, he would not run away. Again, he meant. He would definitely not run away a third time from the same man. He would confront Erik about what happened and stop all the conjecture because it was giving Raoul a headache with how circular his thoughts were.

He would go after lunch. After his lips stopped tingling.

o.o.o

Erik found his opportunity to corner Christine before lunch. He had been following her for a while now. She had made the mistake to leave the safety of the stage to retrieve something from her room alone. Erik followed her wondering exactly how what he was going to do. Did he want to kill her, scare her, or just send her away? He knew that his warnings would probably go unheeded. She knew he was angry already. If that did not make her leave, then she was sorely underestimating his anger. There would be no more warnings for her. If she so dearly wanted to be in the opera house, then she would die in the opera house. If she were not smart enough to save herself, Erik would gladly oblige and do something to make her wish she had dealt with the scandal.

He decided that going with something familiar would be the best. Simple and effective. Erik made a detour to grab some rope and quickly made a Punjab lasso. His hands deftly completed it before Christine even reached her room. Once she was inside, Erik locked the door from the outside. No one was roaming the halls to see his action. Quickly going around to enter through the passageway, Erik stood behind the curtain where the mirror had once been; they had yet to replace it. He watched as she walked around her room and he knew that a quick death would not satisfy him. Stepping in silently as Christine was rummaging through the closet, Erik waited for her to notice him. He held the lasso behind his back. Turning around and seeing him, she screamed.

Erik grinned at her rather maliciously.

"You've returned," he stated evenly. He did not want her to realize she was going to die just yet.

Christine moved away from him. She trembled and tried to maneuver her way towards the door. "Angel. I _have_ returned."

When Erik simply followed her with his eyes, Christine thought she was going to be fine.

"I hadn't wanted to leave you, but," Christine fished around for an excuse, "Raoul had told me to leave for a short while."

Erik started to laugh. The madness in it made Christine freeze.

"Raoul?" Erik could not believe her stupidity. He shook his head. Raoul had been with him every single day since her disappearance. Erik had had a first hand experience of what the Vicomte had been experiencing. Hell, he had experienced it along with him. Had the boy forgotten to inform her of that fact?

Christine's wide-eyed and confused look told Erik that Raoul had left that part of their conversation. He felt some satisfaction that Raoul was keeping secrets from her.

"You would lie to me, dear angel?" Erik asked, the sweetness in his voice mocking her openly. Erik finally moved closer.

When he began to move, Christine realized that she should move too. Her hand grasped the handle to the exit but when she turned it, it did not budge. She looked around frantically. There was a key on the dresser. If she were quick, she would be able to get it. She just needed to distract the ghost.

"No," Christine replied, "What lies has he told you?"

"Raoul lie?" Erik shook his head in disbelief and laughed again. She did not realize how much worse she was making the situation. "No, my dear angel, he is not the liar here."

Erik brought the lasso in front of him and holding it in both hands, snapped it taut. Christine jumped at the sound. She whimpered. Erik saw her staring at the key on the dresser and considered his options. A chase would be interesting, but there was always a chance that someone would disrupt them.

"Do you think I am blind, Christine?" Erik pressed. "Do you think I would not see what you had been doing?"

Christine trembled. For weeks after she had left, she had had nightmares of her angel of music watching her even from such a distance. She had hoped them to be just dreams and when nothing happened, Christine had assumed that she had been right. She thought that her angel of music had not been able to see her, but now seeing him once more, she did not doubt that the ghost had been watching her. Making a dash for the key, Christine grabbed it and struggled to unlock the door.

Erik watched her unconcerned. Killing her in her room lost its appeal. If she ran, then perhaps he could amuse himself for a little longer. Draw out her punishment. Make her realize how much her lies would only injure her further. Maybe he could make her realize just how bad of an idea coming back to the opera house was before she died.

So, as she ran out of the room, Erik counted to three before making chase.

Christine was screaming for her life, but she was too slow. Erik threw the lasso around her head. Luckily, she had kept her hand at the level of her eye since her wrist caught the lasso before it could go around her neck. She struggled but Erik held firm. Sighing, he heard footsteps of people approaching. His fun would be over, but that did not matter. As long as Christine was disposed of, he would gladly cut his amusement short.

She struggled and stumbling, she swayed into the wall knocking a candle over. Erik pulled on the rope and Christine fell backwards. He was momentarily distracted as the fire from the candle began to spread on the carpet. Christine managed to yank the rope over her head and run towards the people. Seeing her escape, Erik frowned. It was best to remain hidden and wait for another opportunity, but still. He scowled. He had been playing with his prey and this was what it got him. Christine had gotten away with her life. It was disappointing, but nothing he could not eventually fix.

Deciding it was his chance to get away as well, he gathered the rope before walking away. He rather expected them to deal with the fire that Christine started. He could already hear their panicked screams and orders being yelled over the dim roar as the fire spread quickly.

o.o.o

Raoul was about to eat lunch when the messenger came. He forgot his reluctance to return to the opera house when he heard that it was on fire. Making haste to arrive at the opera house, Raoul wondered what could have happened. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it still standing. He had half expected it to be in ruins by now.

Entering, he saw many of the workers sitting on the floor against the walls in clothes that were darkened with what Raoul assumed were from the fire. They looked exhausted, but if they were resting inside, it had to mean the fire had been extinguished. He easily spotted the managers as they were arguing in the middle of everything. Yet no one was paying them much attention. He wondered how long they had been fighting that even the spectators were no longer interested.

"Monsieurs?" Raoul walked up to them, "I came as soon as I heard. What happened?"

They shared a look and Raoul rolled his eyes. Did they need to consult each other on everything they said?

Andre stated, "Mlle Daae started a fire in the hallway of the living quarters."

Raoul looked at him confused, "Christine Daae? Why would she?"

Honestly, Raoul had expected them to say that the opera ghost had done it. He felt a little guilty for having assumed Erik as the culprit.

Firmin threw his hands up in the air, "Who knows why? She claims the ghost was trying to kill her, but no one saw such a thing occur. They saw Christine running towards them alone and the fire behind her."

Andre commented, "It very well could have been the ghost though. She was scared witless."

Firmin scoffed. "I think she means to ruin us."

Raoul looked around. He did not know what to believe. Christine could be lying. That was what Firmin believed. But, why would she do such a thing though? Maybe to get more attention. Maybe in response to receiving a small part. Raoul hoped that she was above doing such a thing.

Moreover, though plausible, Raoul did not think that Erik would attack Christine. Perhaps she was running away from him, but not for the reasons that she told the managers.

"Where is she? I wish to speak with her." Raoul said.

If he cleared things up with Christine, maybe he would learn what really happened and maybe understand why Erik had kissed him in the process.

o.o.o

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End part 02

Word count: 2,142

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A/N: Don't forget to R/R (Read and Review)!

Author review: I think I could have cut some parts out of this chapter. You'll probably feel that way too, but I didn't cut it out (why? I don't know.).


	3. Truths

Disclaimer: Please don't sue. I don't own POTO... All I own is an overactive imagination.

Summary: ErikRaoul slash. Time, a 3parts Series. Installment 04. Questions answered and lives change in a matter of hours.

Warning(s): slash (that's homosexual content for those of you who don't know)

Pairing(s): ErikRaoul

A/N: Finally posted.

Story note: Last part of the fourth installment. Raoul needs to get over believing Erik loves Christine. Let's hope things clear up here. It's great that Erik's trying to kill Christine though. Who knows if he will succeed?

o.o.o.o

Time: Hours

Part03:Truths

o.o.o.o

By: Lucifer Rosemaunt

o.o.o.o

o.o.o.o

Last time: Erik tries to kill Christine. Raoul is left to his thoughts (stupid imagination and jumping to conclusions). A fire breaks out in the opera house.

o.o.o

After the initial disappointment and self-deprecation of having let his prey get away, Erik had been rather pleased with himself. He had enjoyed watching Christine struggle like that, and he had gotten his message across even though he had not been able to kill her.

More importantly, he had even been able to get Raoul to return. Erik was infinitely pleased with himself when Raoul entered the opera house. Perhaps Christine could be of some use if it meant that Raoul would have to run to the opera house every time something happened to her. However, seeing Raoul go search for Christine made him a little more than annoyed.

He followed Raoul to see what would happen. Maybe he could intercept him before he ever found Christine, but true to the managers' words, Christine was backstage. Raoul, knowing the opera house very well, took the quickest path to her. Erik had no other choice but to follow him.

Meg and Madame Giry were the only ones present: Meg at Christine's side consoling her and Madame Giry some distance away watching.

Christine was sobbing hysterically.

Raoul hesitated a few feet away from the girls. Madame Giry had given him a look but remained where she stood. Meg and Christine however had yet to notice his presence.

Raoul heard some remnants of their conversation. Meg had her arm around Christine's shoulders but her words were hardly consoling, "Maybe you're being selfish. You came back so suddenly and expected everything to return to normal."

"I had to come back," Christine mumbled.

"But then you had to go and tell the ghost a lie."

Christine looked at her with reddened eyes, "What do you mean?"

"You said that you told the ghost Raoul had sent you away," Meg shrugged and stated matter-of-factly, "Everyone knows that Raoul didn't send you away."

After the initial blush at having been so obvious about his feelings during Christine's disappearance, Raoul frowned upon hearing of her lie. Why would Christine lie like that? This could be the reason why the ghost was trying to punish her or punish him; he was not sure which one it was.

"How do you know that?" Christine responded defensively. "Did you even know that we had been engaged?"

Raoul stared at her in disbelief. He could not believe that this was really Christine. She had wanted to keep it a secret and now she just blurted it out as evidence to prove Raoul was a good liar? He was starting to believe that Christine did start the fire on purpose. She was definitely not who he had thought her to be.

"Christine," the blonde girl replied shaking her head sadly, "I didn't know that, but why did you leave then?"

Christine refused to answer that question.

"Well," Meg continued, "the Vicomte was moping around after you left. He was here everyday hoping you would come back."

"Oh," Christine tried to defend her reasoning, "he could have just been acting."

"I doubt that," Madame Giry said, "even the ghost knows that to be a lie."

Madame Giry looked pointedly at Raoul. Though neither man had actually told her of their nightly rendezvous, Raoul had a feeling that this was her way of telling them that she did know.

Madame Giry was glad that Erik had found someone. She had not been certain of his intentions towards Raoul until now. Finding Christine hysterical because the opera ghost had tried to kill her had been a shock, but after everything that had happened, she was not very surprised that things had ended up this way. She had heard rumours of where Christine had been. Most of them had to be false, but she knew to be truth that neither Erik nor Raoul had taken her. She had expected worse things to happen to the opera house during the fallout, but instead, she had seen Raoul leaving the opera house late at night with injuries. At first, she had been alarmed, but the Vicomte said nothing of it. In fact, Raoul had looked almost happy during those times she had seen him. The fact that not too long after she had first seen Raoul leave in such a state, Erik had requested for more bandages and salve for mysterious wounds that he would not explain. It could not have been more obvious to her. They were taking comfort in each other's comfort. Violently, but still it was comfort.

Madame Giry also knew better than anyone since she had raised her that Christine was capable of running away. She had in fact figured it to have occurred the same morning that the girl had gone missing.

Raoul cleared his throat. All eyes turned to him.

Addressing the Giry women, he requested, "A moment with Mlle Daae alone please?"

They looked at him for a moment. He tried not to squirm under their scrutiny. Madame Giry stared at him sternly. Raoul knew that she was still protective of Christine after everything. He meant no harm towards her. Meg's look was one of hope and expectation. Raoul hated to think what Meg wanted from him, but he knew he had to focus solely on Christine for now. Madame Giry shuffled Meg away when she did not move from Christine's side.

Left alone with Raoul, Christine hugged her arms around herself.

He took a small step towards her but did not move to comfort her. He did not even know who she was anymore.

"Why did you lie, Christine?" Raoul had not meant to ask that question first. He had planned to ask her what happened with the fire, but he could not help himself.

Christine looked away. Tears clung to her eyes. "He was going to hurt me."

Erik, who had been watching along with Raoul, frowned at her display. He did not believe those tears. He believed them as much as he believed her lies.

Raoul shook his head. "Why would he want to hurt you Christine?"

Both Christine and Erik stared at Raoul.

Erik could not believe the boy had just said that. Maybe he was as stupid as he called him sometimes, but then again, Erik knew he had not realized his attraction for Raoul until just recently. He did have to wonder though what the boy thought of him to think that he still wanted Christine after she had betrayed them both.

"It's the ghost," Christine scoffed, "Does he need any reason?"

Raoul frowned. "Don't slander him, Christine." Hearing her say disparaging remarks about Erik angered him. It was not fair that Christine did not appreciate him when Raoul could not even have him like she did.

Erik had been about to show himself at her comment but hearing Raoul defend him had made him pause. At least, he would find out what Raoul thought of him.

"Why?" Christine asked, "He is a monster. He threatened me Raoul. He tried to kill me." She pointed to redness on her wrist, one the rope had caused.

Raoul looked at her wrist and was not impressed, "How? When, Christine?"

"Earlier," this time Christine did run to him. She grabbed his hands and held them tightly, "he had the Punjab lasso around my neck. He was the reason there was a fire."

"But why, Christine?" Raoul pulled his hand away and stepped away from her again. He ignored Christine's look of confusion. The ghost would not attack Christine unless something was terribly amiss. Raoul assumed it was because Christine had rejected Erik, but he wanted to hear it for himself. He wanted to feel hope again.

"Because I left Raoul," she said in a small voice, "Because I left."

Erik smiled. At least she knew the original cause for his hatred towards her, but she did not understand it completely. She did not need to. As long as she left Raoul alone, she could believe whatever she wanted.

"I explained it to him," Raoul stated. There should not have been a misunderstanding between them. Surely just because Christine had been frightened, it would not be a reason for the ghost to hate her, "just as you explained it to me, Christine."

She stopped crying abruptly and Raoul found it odd that she could control it so well. He was beginning to doubt the story she had told him about her departure.

"You spoke with him?"

Raoul nodded, "He cornered me that morning after you had explained it me."

Christine stared at him. "Are you under his control too Raoul?"

"Under his control?" He stared at her in confusion. "What does that even mean?"

"Those managers," she pointed towards the main hall, "they listen to everything that monster says. He twists them against me."

"No," Raoul scoffed. Maybe it _was_ all about Christine's role in the new opera, "he's not controlling me in any such way. He asked me a question and I answered him. Now answer me, why did you leave?"

"I already told you."

"You told him lies," Erik finally decided it was his time to reveal himself. He was a few feet behind Raoul.

Christine cowered taking several steps away. Raoul's breath caught in his throat the second he heard his voice. He could not believe that he had thought he would have been able to speak to Christine without Erik nearby. Raoul was not sure if he could face the ghost however. His face flushed just remembering why he had fled in the first place.

Raoul controlled his desire to run away again. He could not leave them alone again or something might happen to the opera house or Christine. He just refused to turn around.

He focused on what he had said. Christine had lied to Erik. Not only that, she had lied to Raoul about her leaving. Raoul could not believe it. She had actually betrayed them.

Erik saw Raoul's shoulders tense and his hands clench into fists. He wondered if Raoul would run away again. He would not mind because then it left Christine alone with him to finish what he had started.

"No," Christine yelled back. "I did no such thing."

Raoul focused on Christine. It felt as though he could feel Erik staring at his back. He refused to squirm under the imagined scrutiny. Staring at her, he realized that something was different. Not just with her, with _them_. He could hear it, sense it. Their voices, their attitudes. They were different from before. Whatever was between them, without even having to look at Erik, he knew had changed. He wondered if it was simply because he knew of Christine's betrayal now.

Raoul shut his eyes for a brief moment imagining how Erik looked. He wanted to see him, to see how he was dealing with Christine's return. He could almost understand Erik's odd actions now as being due to the stress of her return. It was all just due to stress.

He met Christine's eyes. "Tell me what happened."

Christine fidgeted. Her hands clenched the material of her dress. "I ran because I was scared Raoul. I had to leave."

Raoul heard Erik take a menacing step towards Christine, a step that brought him closer to Raoul. He thought he could feel Erik's presence grow stronger. Still, he refused to turn around.

Erik's attention was only partially on Christine. Most of his attention was focused on Raoul. He wanted to force Raoul to turn around. He wanted to see if Raoul believed her lies. He wanted to see if he was having any effect on the blonde at all. Erik was almost willing to accept Raoul's hatred if only it meant that Raoul would turn around and face him.

It was hard to concentrate, but Raoul kept his voice even, "You told me you spent the past seven months hiding afraid for you life."

Christine looked away. The ghost would reveal her lie if she said anything. She needed to deflect the question. She could not win Raoul's support with the truth.

"I have been afraid," she insisted. Her eyes began to water, "I'm so scared, Raoul." She reached out to grab his arm, but before she reached him, Erik yanked Raoul away from her by grabbing his arm. Surprised by the sudden movement, Raoul stumbled backwards. Erik caught him by the waist and pulled him close.

Raoul looked up at him in disbelief, but Erik was focused on Christine. Christine's hand had frozen in midair and she stared at them in disbelief. She quickly refocused herself when Erik growled.

"You will not manipulate him."

Erik had acted on instinct. Seeing that Christine was trying to touch Raoul, he pulled him away. His attention zeroed in on her. She was the threat for the moment.

It was warm. Raoul, realizing what position he was in, quickly got his bearings. He stood and tried to pull away from Erik, but the grip around his waist would not release him.

Christine would have laughed if she did not suspect that the ghost would kill her if she did. "I am not manipulating him." She looked at Raoul, "He's manipulating you, Raoul. Just look at what he's doing now. He's trying to tear us apart. He's holding you captive."

Raoul dearly hoped he was not blushing, but his body was reacting to Erik's closeness. His clothes felt as though they were suffocating him, but the very thought of less clothes and this proximity to the ghost made his heart race and his mouth go dry. Erik's hand had at some point drifted down from his waist and was now resting almost too comfortably on juncture of his thigh and pelvis. The surprisingly large hand was spread wide touching as much of Raoul as he thought the hand could reach. A slight movement of the ghost's index finger came perilously close to what Raoul hoped was not a visible reaction to Erik.

He swallowed the moan that threatened to come out and jumped out of Erik's grasp, not giving him a chance to tighten his grip. He glared at them both. Christine for lying. Erik for being too familiar with him, for the look of hurt in his eyes that made Raoul almost apologize for leaving his half embrace, and for making Raoul want to hold his hands in front of his trousers just in case his reaction to Erik was noticeable. He did not though because it would only bring attention to his problem.

Erik, who had failed to see Raoul's physical reaction to his closeness, had also enjoyed Raoul's warmth. He had been focusing so much on Christine however, that his reaction was significantly less than what Raoul had experienced. He would vividly remember later on how it felt to hold Raoul close, but since his focus had been elsewhere, his body had been moving of its own accord. He had not realized his hand had strayed too low or that he had begun to rub Raoul's leg. So when Raoul forcefully jumped out of his hold, Erik thought that Raoul was going to actually take Christine's side.

Afraid to lose him, Erik glared at Christine before saying to Raoul, "Would you like to know what she was actually doing while she was gone?"

Raoul looked at him warily. He wondered how the ghost would know such a thing.

"No!" Christine shrieked. "Stop saying these lies."

She flung herself at the ghost, but before she could make it very far, Raoul caught her and dragged her away.

Erik was actually surprised that she had been brave enough to even attempt attacking him.

When Raoul put her down, Christine still held onto him. Erik forced himself to stand his ground. It was Raoul's decision to make.

But he could always try to make him see how wrong Christine was for him. He began, "There was…"

Raoul held up a hand to stop Erik from speaking. He looked at Christine with sorrow evident in his features.

"I don't think I even need to know what happened, Christine." He pulled her hands off his. Kissing her hand, he shook his head, "If it was something to anger him to this point," he inclined his head towards Erik, "then I don't think I want to know."

Christine was about to defend herself, but Raoul shook his head. Letting go of her hands, Raoul stepped away from her firmly.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and stood her ground confidently. It was as though Raoul was actually seeing the real Christine, not the weak one she always portrayed.

Christine saw Erik standing there so self-righteous and smug. She nodded understanding that Raoul would not care what she said. He had already made his decision and he had picked the ghost's side. She suddenly wanted to tell him the truth, "It was for me Raoul. I left for me. A chance to get what I deserved."

Raoul heard Erik mumble loud enough for him to hear. "Oh, you'll get what you deserve."

Raoul shot him a warning look before turning to Christine, "Get out of our opera house."

"What?" Christine almost screamed. She had thought that she had lost Raoul's friendship or his trust. She had not thought that he would actually send her away. Pointing at Erik, she argued, "He's the reason for all the destruction in the opera house. He's the problem. I can make this opera house prosper."

"I won't repeat myself again, Christine," Raoul looked at her with disgust. Seeing her trying to blame Erik was annoying him to no end, "I will not have a problem turning a blind eye towards what he might do if I leave you alone here with him," Raoul stated coldly.

Christine stopped yelling. With her fists clenched and back rigid, she raised her head high and stalked off the stage.

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End Installment 04

Word count: 2,974

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A/N: Don't forget to R/R (Read and Review)!

Chapter review: Oooh, Christine's appearance was more like a cameo! She's gone (hopefully for good, right?)

Author review: I kind of liked the third chapter the best, just because I can see Erik inadvertently making Raoul… (um) blush. Yeah, blush.


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